It’s been a while since I wrote something here. Much because the season started and there just hasn’t been enough time.
Long days in the kitchen with 30+. degrees outside and ovens and stoves raising the temp inside makes one quite thirsty. I try to drink 3 liters of water per day and although I love water in all ways, shapes and forms, the flavour, or more so the lack of it makes it a bit boring.
Last year I was looking in to making vinegars and came across a thing called shrubs. It’s a naturally sweetened concentrate made with vinegar that works a bit like a cordial. Mening you make a batch and use just a little to mix with water, with or without bubbles. You can use it for mixing with alcohol too, if you like.
It takes a couple of days to make so do a big batch to keep in the fridge, it lasts for a very long time.
Feel free to experiment with flavours. The one in the photo is flavoured with raspberries, mint and basil but I also made one with blueberries and cardamon and another with strawberry, lime and pink pepper. All delicious and thirst quenching.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
700ml raspberries
115 ml mint leafs
115ml basil leafs
1 cup raw honey
100-2000ml of apple cider vinegar
instructions
Mash and muddle the raspberries, mint and basil tin a clean mason jar. Put the lid on and let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 days shaking it every day to make sure all of the fruit/herbs get covered in honey.
After about 3-4 days add to food processor and pulse a few times. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve pushing on it to get all of the liquid out. Add the apple cider vinegar to the syrup 100ml at first cup at first, adding more to your desired taste buds. The dinginess of the vinagre will settle after a day but you can drink it right away if you want.
To serve, pour a little bit of syrup into a glass, add sparkling or still water and ice cubes or frozen berries.
PS If you are using a jar with a metal lid use a piece of parchment between the lid and jar. The apple cider vinegar reacts with the metal and it will turn black if you don’t.
